Southern New Jersey Overlook

A few weeks back I accidentally dropped my Palm PDA (Zire 71) on the ground and it landed face (screen) down on concrete and a rock.  Needless to say, the screen did not survive and I was forced to begin considering how I would replace it.
 
The PDA, which was originally purchased as a component of an e-Supra key package (which I no longer use), was satisfactory for my needs of being able to upload and update my address and schedule from my PC, download and read the latest news offline, read eBooks and access Dictionaries, Encyclopedias and other References that was stored on it (via a 1GB SD memory card).  While it did not have WiFi, Wireless nor Bluetooth communications capabilities, it addressed the majority of my portable data requirements.
 
I first tried to find a replacement for the unit (through eBay, as the Zire 71 is no longer available from Palm).  However, the prices of units in new or good condition were more than I wanted pay for used or discontinued products.  (For those that want to go that direction, please note that there is a Palm Zire 72 Silver Edition, also discontinued, that is essentially an improved Zire 71 with a better camera, video recording and Bluetooth capabilities.  It also has a faster processor.)
 
After looking at various options I decided that my investment in Palm software, eBooks, etc. dictated that for this point in time, my next PDA should also run Palm OS.  That left me with limited PDA (handheld device) options as Palm is concentrating mainly on Smartphones, such as the Treo, and the new Foleo, essentially a laptop replacement/smartphone companion.  For various reasons, some which I have mentioned in prior articles, the smartphone or wireless handheld path did not fit my needs.

Palm's latest supported handheld device is the Palm TX, which has been out for a couple of years and there does not appear to be any new, strictly PDA (handhelds with no phone) versions in the works.  
 
The advantages of the Palm TX over the Zire are many... faster processor, WiFi and Bluetooth communications, newer version of Palm OS, larger screen with ability to rotate it from portrait to landscape, software compatibility with almost all my previous Palm software and data and expanded communication software.  Like the Zire, the TX plays MP3 music files and includes software to play your favorite MP3 music and podcasts.  They only feature that it's missing when compared to the Zire is a built-in camera.  However, since my cell phone has a camera, I did not need nor want it in a PDA. It still did not have Wireless (cellular) capability as a smartphone would, but my cell phone has text message, GPS and web access capabilities when/if I needed it.
 
When I purchased the Palm TX, I did not initially comprehend the many advantages that would be opened by having WiFi capabilities.  Those capabilities allow me to access my local network (including printers, network drives, computers, even control and watch TV) as well as access the Internet whether at my home or office -- which have wireless routers.

I heard about WiFi access points that are available everywhere for free, such as at McDonald's, Starbuck's, airports and many other places.  But what I had to learn was that, while these services are installed and supported for free, the use of the bandwidth is often not free.  Often the system will require you to subscribe to a service and pay for usage, by the hour or for a day or under a regular monthly plan.  If you do find a WiFi signal that you can access (and there are many people that surprising do not secure their signal), you have to stay within 300 ft of the signal to use it.  The service to which you subscribe varies from location to location and within a location there could be more than one WiFi service.  Since WiFi is limited to about 300 feet in range, if you are on the move -- not staying within the range of a WiFi signal -- WiFi is not practical.
 
In addition to the supplied software that comes with the Palm TX, here are some I would recommend to download and setup. Some are free while others are require payment of a relatively small fee in return for some great benefits...
 
Kinoma (allows to you to enjoy streaming video and audio, podcasts and more; fee require, worth every penny).
TCPMP  (plugins) (free; no longer actively supported; allows you to play many of the audio and video formats found on the Internet, including MPEG, FLAC and DIVX; wikipedia article) (now available as paid version with support and enhancements from CorePlayer)
PalmVNC (control your PC from your Palm TX; free) [see prior article]
PalmPDF(view PDF files; free); also AdobeReader (from Adobe - no recent updates; free)
FileZ (file management and system utility, explorer for internal and external memory - RAM; free)
AvantGo (download and read offline latest news, weather and mobile content; free and paid versions)
iSilo(eBook reader, free and paid versions)
BDicty (dictionary/reference content reader, free and paid versions)

The TX comes with it's own web browser (Blazer v4.3), but it does have limitations.  Newer versions of Blazer are available from Palm for the Treo, incorporating a built-in version of Kinoma.  Opera also has a version for Palm OS, called Opera Mini, that works, but is limited in the rendering it will do.  Opera is working on a newer and fuller featured beta version which is also available for download, but still has many bugs.  Both versions of Opera can be installed side-by-side.
 
There are also form fitting hard cases, screen protectors, microphones (using the USB connection) and more available from PALM and third party vendors.

Note that the Bluetooth feature is very limited as to what it can communicate with.  Some are saying they can get it to communicate with their web-capable phones, but others are saying that they are not able to do it with certain service provider phones, such as Verizon.  Regardless, if you require wireless access from a Palm OS handheld, then it makes more sense to just get a mobile device, such as the Palm OS version of the Treo.

For those interested in controlling and remotely watching their TV on their handheld, both locally and anywhere they have Wifi access, check out Slingbox.  It allows me to control and watch TV, including HD, on my PC and handheld.  It works great!
 
Don't forget to add a 1 or 2 GB SD Memory card.  They can now be purchased for well under $20.  Also, purchase an inexpensive (under $10) USB SD Memory card reader along with it, so you can easily transfer data between your TX and your PC via the memory card.


Additional Comments:
The latest Palm Treo running the Palm OS is the 755p -- still without WiFi and GPS. 

The supposedly named Treo 800w (there's also a Centro, etc.) will possibly be released around September and is said to have Wifi and GPS capabilities along with Windows Mobile 6, a 320x320 screen and a 1.3 megapixal camera.  (additional Report 1, Report 2, Report 3, Report 4, Report 5)

I originally had a VX6700, but the reception was not that great in my area and the features did not meet my requirements, so I returned it for the VX8300 phone which I currently have.

Hopefully, the next version of Windows Mobil (6 or later) will come closer to what I need and expect.
 

NOTE: See also the Comments section below for my updates to this article, additional resources and new related articles.
 
 
 
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